Past Letters of the month

Your website is absolutely amazing. I have referred so many people there over the years and I have to admit  I stop by and check it out regularly  even after owning llamas for over 25 years.

Keep up the great work!

Julie

November, 2008

Greetings,

I really, really enjoy your website and am wondering if I could send you
a painting I found this weekend for (consideration of) display in the Barn.

I purchased this work of art for $1.00 from a local thrift shop, so it
meets your fiscal requirements. It is a truly magnificent
acrylic-on-black-velvet of a poodle wearing flowers in her (?) hair and
on her paws. There’s also a butterfly in the painting, of course. I
instantly thought of your enterprise when I saw this masterpiece.

Please let me know if you might consider my submission and I’ll take it
out of the frame and ship it as a poster (frame is really damaged).

I Have Just Recently Purchased 6 Llamas To Protect My Horses From Dangerous Predators Such As Coyotes And Dogs. They Have Done An Excellent Job And I Am Quite Pleased With How Smart And Beautiful These Animals Are. When We Got Them There Was The Main Stud, Two Females, One Of Which Had Two Babies From The Stud Which Are A Male And A Female, And The Other Had A Male From Him As Well. At This Point I Have Them Separated The Two Male Children In One Pastor [sic] And The Two Female Mommies In The Next With The Stud. The Baby Female Is In A Day Pen Near My House. I Would Like To Start Breeding Them And Would Like To Know If, Like Sheep, They Are Able To Inbreed With Relatives And Not Come Out Retarded And Messed Up. Thank You For Your Time I Would Greatly Appreciate It If You Could Get Back To Me Soon. Have A Wonderful Day.

Ashley

We advised her not to breed the stud to his daughters. I was very intrigued with the style of typing in the note though.

August, 2008

My what a difference a bit of time and a lot of patience can make!! Spirit Dancer aka Dee Dee has become a much happier and more settled llama. She is starting to come when called like the others do and seems to have really bonded with her flock. She had to spend a nite away from them as they were locked up in a different barn for the vet and she seemed none to impressed. Unfortunately, she would have had to come unnervingly close to the horses if she wanted to join them. She has improved dramatically in terms of her reaction to the horses but she still doesn’t voluntarily get up close and personal. We have had no coyote loss this year and I don’t know if that has been good fortune or Dee Dee but either way it is a blessing. If it has just been good fortune it has also meant that Dee Dee has had a longer time to really connect with her new flock. She no longer looks longingly at the deer! So thank you once again for Dee Dee and if you ever want to drop by and visit her please feel free.

Stasia

July, 2008

We happened upon your online breeding calculators and are very impressed. Can you tell us, so your charts work for alpacas as well as llamas? Do both of these camelids cycle just alike? In advance I thank you for taking the time to respond.

Randy

Yes, the re-breeding charts work for both llamas and alpacas. They both have a twelve-day cycle. You can also use the charts to pick the best days to field test them after they have been bred.

June, 2008

Brian and Jane,

Just visited your website for the breeding chart and I have to say a big THANK YOU for a wonderful source of information that you are willing to share. And your website is awesome and the most phenomenal information on everything possible about llamas. I have been breeding and raising llamas for only 10 years and I have to say what a great asset to the llama community.

Carol

May, 2008

I have a question about the chart that can be run to tell when a llama is ready to re-breed. Can this same chart be used for alpacas? Also I wanted to tell you that I really enjoy your website and all the information it holds.

Thanks again
Lisa

Yes, the chart will work for re-breeding alpacas.
It is also extremely useful for deciding the best days to field test llamas or alpacas with a male.

April, 2008

I have a bazillion sites bookmarked and yours was one of them. Tonight I finally got around to exploring it. Best. Site. Ever.

I have a bunch of artsy-fartsy friends as well as a few who are true artists  I forwarded your URL equally. So far they all have the same reaction. You’re awesome.

Crap! I really wish I’d known about this before. I would have bought a few (under two bucks, of course) and sent them to add to the collection.

Best of luck to you and the llamas.

Mimi

March, 2008

Subject: Your weird llama pictures

I accidently stumbled across your web site while researching (real) minature llamas . . . not the bonsai variety.

I particularly liked your emu/llama cross. Like you, when we talk about our alpacas or llamas with strangers we invariably get one of two questions:

1) Are they kind of like emus?
2) Are they good to eat?

Thanks for the lighthearted look.

Steve

February, 2008

Subject: Cria not walking/Help

Hi Brian and Jane
Found you via Google.

We had a cria yesterday, it was cold and damp. We didn’t know cria was born. Once found I warmed her with a hair dryer, after 3 hours moving legs. After 6 hrs, sitting up. Now 24 hours later she is still being fed colostrum, with syringe (no needle of course), drinking 6 oz every few hours. She tries to get up, but her back legs will not support her. She is going pee-pee ok, no poop yet???

When do we start whole cow’s milk? Have you heard of this when the back legs don’t work/support? She tries to get up but falls over.
Appreciate ALL and any help!!

Aida

We sent a few suggestions such as massaging the legs and contacting a vet. We are not vets and stay away from offering veterinary advice.

This was Aida’s reply:

Thanks for taking the time to reply, thanks . . . she just stood up for 10 seconds and sat down. I am rubbing and moving her legs.

Gotta go buy some milk and a baby fleet!! Thanks and I’ll send you guys an email with results . . . so if it ever comes up, we can pass along the info.!!!

I'm taking her to a local llama expert tonight.

Warm regards!!
Aida

This is the next morning’s message:

Subject: Cria BETTER!

JUST had to let you know so you could pass along the info. Naysa is doing great! She began walking on her own by 2 p.m. I immediately put her with mom, her aunt and her cria. The 4 bonded, but mom ran when it came to milk. They stayed together for 5 hours until it got cold. She is going to make it!!

I just thank you so much for your support in llamas. I think back, even thought our crias was dead and stiff . . . I did not give up and thankfully my prayers were answered. What I did was rub her stiff COLD body and gave her CPR. Once I saw a breath and threw a blanket on her, I ran inside, Googled and came up with your site and it said to do a hair dryer. I did that and stayed with her for hours. It is wonderful I found the site or I would have given up.

Please pass my words along . . . don’t give up. I am feeding with a Playtex bottle now whole milk/organic with Vitamin D. In the morning she’ll go out hungry and hopefully mom will feed her. When mom sees her cria, she bonds. I KNOW crias NEED to be with mom. We DO NOT want to raise a BAD llama that is too humanized . . .

Thanks again for your support!! A story with a happy ending!

Aida

This e-mail came the next afternoon:

Baby Cria Naysa is NOW drinking milk from mommy llama! A miracle. I am still supplementing whole milk for a few more days at night. She drinks it all down about 4 oz a sitting and doing three. I’ll have her in at night for a few more nights until the cold and rain passes through. It gets to 42 at night. She is wearing a wool children’s sweater.

I bought a new camera yesterday, I’ll send you a pix. Thanks for your support!! I took her to my daughters 6th grade class yesterday and the kids had the biggest smiles on their faces!!!

Aida

January, 2008

Subject: tears from laughing so hard

I love the one about is it good luck if a llama spits in your face on your birthday? Your answer is just perfect.

Heather
lives with 18 llamas (they live outside)
and 5 people (they live inside the house)